Can opener suspended from a can



J. LESSER ET AL CAN OPENER SUSPENDED FROM A CAN March 25, 1.952

Filed Feb. l5, 1950 llll INVETORS JULIUS LESSER SAMUEL s-LLENHOFF TTORNEYS Patented Mar. 25, 1952 UNIT E D STAT ES PAT ENT F F IrC-E'.

CAN*OPENER SUSPENDED FRGM'A' CAN Julius Lesser and.v Samuel H. Lenhoff, Chicago, Ill.

Application February v13, 1950, Serial No. 1434,9'62

(Cl. 30`'16)l Thisl invention appertains to can openers of the type embodyinga puncturing nose for pro. ducing a pouring opening in thehead of a can.

One of the primary objects of our invention is to produce a can opener of the above character which can be quickly detachably secured to a can during the shipping or `delivery thereof, whereby the opener will be in position for instant ready use by a purchaser.

Another salient object of our invention isthe provision of a tongue struck out from the can opener adjacent to the puncturing nose and in spaced relation to the can bead engaging fulcrum hook of the opener, said tongue and hook engaging the bead (when the opener is not in use), in such a manner that the opener will be rmly connected to the can with its handle lying along side of the can and in an out-of-the-way position, whereby a series of cans can be packed in a container in the ordinary manner.

A still further object of our invention is to provide a can opener including a handle provided with an angularly extending V-shaped puncturing nose connected with the handle by a curved neck, the opener having a pair of oppositely disposed projections struck out therefrom adapted to engage and grip a can bead, whereby the opener will be clamped to the can when not in use with the handle resting against the can body and with one of the projections in biting engagement between the bead and the can body with the opposite projection bearing against the outer face of the bead, so that when it is desired to open a can, it is merely necessary to grip the handle and rock the same upwardly to force the l V-shaped puncturing nose into the can and form the pouring opening therein.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel construction, arf rangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which drawing,

Figure l is a side elevational view showing our improved opener attached to a standard can.

rFigure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through the opener and a portion of a can showing theopener clamped to the can.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the opener in side elevation and being used to open the can.

Figure 4 is a rear elevational View of the opener removed from the can.

Figure 5 is a top plan View of the opener in its partly formed condition.

Referring to theY drawing in detail, wherein` similar reference characters designate corre--I sponding parts throughoutthe several'views, the letter O- generally indicatesour` improvedl can opener and C avr can'-witli'whichthesame can-be associated.

The i can* C forms no part' of'thefpresent invention andl can bek considered asa standard can generally utilized for beer, fruit juicesiand they' lik-e: Thus thecan C includes the usual" cylindrical body' I0` having a heador' can top' I I secured thereto by an outwardly rolled bead I2.

The can opener O comprises an elongated, substantially at handle I3 having formed on its inner end the angularly extending V-shaped can puncturing nose I 4.' The nose is connected to the handle I3 by means of an arcuate neck portion I5. Struck out from the handle I3 is a longitudinally extending hook I6 which is adapted to hook under the can bead I2 and form a fulcrum for the opener during the swinging thereof ior puncturing the can top or head I I. The hook I6 projects toward the V-shaped nose I4. Also struck out from the opener substantially at the point of the connection of the nose I4 with the handle I3, is a longitudinally extending tongue I'I. The tongue is more or less resilient and when the opener is in the position shown in Figure 2, the tongue I1 lies directly above the outer edge of the hook I6.

To clamp the opener Ol to a can, it is merely necessary to position the hook I6 under the can bead I2, with the tongue I1 resting on the upper edge of the can bead and the tongue being of a resilient nature, continuously draws the hook into gripping contact with the bead and consequently, the opener can be iirmly -attached to a can with the handle I3 thereof lying along side of the can body I0.

When it is desired to open the can, it is merely necessary for the user to grip the handle and swing the same upwardly on the hook I 6 and the puncturing nose I4wil1 be forced through the can, yas is clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawing. After the opening is made in the can, the opener can be withdrawn and repositioned on the can for making an 4additional opening therein for an air inlet.

Obviously, the opener O can be made in various ways, and as illustrated in Figure 4, the same is provided with spaced, parallel reinforcing ribs I8. These ribs lie on opposite sides of the hook I6 and the tongue I1. Also, the outer end of the handle can be bent angularly as at I9, to facili- 3 tate the engagement of the handle by the ngers of the user.

In practice, it is to be understood that in shipping a case of canned products, one of said cans may be provided with the attached can opener O, which thereafter may be used for puncturing other cans, in the usual manner.

From the foregoing it is believed that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A can opener of the type comprising an elongated handle, a Vshaped can puncturing nose on the outer end of the handle and a fulerum hook struck out from the handle for engaging a can bead, and means on said opener cooperating with said hook to clamp said opener to a can bead when the opener is not in use with the handle lying along side of the can body.

2. A can opener attachment for a liquid container ofthe type having end walls and projecting end beads, comprising an elongated handle, a V-shaped container puncturing nose extending angularly from the outer end of the handle, a

cent the angularly extending nose and engaging an end bead, and means on said opener cooperating with said fulcrum hook to clamp said opener to an end bead with the handle lying substantially flat to a portion of the container body.

3. A can opener attachment for a liquid container of the type having end Walls and projecting end beads, comprising an elongated handle, an angularly extending V-shaped container puncturing nose, a fulcrum hook struck out from the handle and engaging an end bead, a resilient tongue struck out from said container puncturing nose in spaced relation to the fulcrum hook and overlying said hook when the opener is in position on the container with the nose over the top of said container, the fulcrum hook being adapted to engage under the bead and said tongue being so adapted and arranged to engage the outer face of the bead for drawing said hook into intimate engagement with the container body and bead.

JULIUS LESSER. SAMUEL H. LENHOFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,046,879 Leppke July 7, 1936 2,055,865 Hopkins Sept. 29, 1936 

